March 11, 2011

After a snow-dumping, deep freeze kind of winter in New York, it's nice that the pounding, driving rains have arrived. Why? That means sunshine, spring and amazing produce are weeks rather than months away. Matter of fact, my raised flowerbed on my balcony currently has sprouting leaves from 10 of the bulbs I planted last Fall. Hooray, looks like I will soon have crocuses and tulips! We're already starting to see some spring produce in the stores and a local farmer is now selling Mache, one of my favorite salad greens. Thus, a quick and delicious main-course salad or elegant appetizer you can make now to bridge that gap between seasons. Here's my "Mache and Farro Salad with Salmon".

Farro is another really incredible product, an ancient grain that is packed with flavor, chewy texture and nutrition. It's a protein bomb! My favorite variety is from a producer that also has incredible oats and polenta and must be soaked first for the highest quality result. You can soak it overnight before you'd like to use it or just soak it and have it ready for a day or two in your fridge. Use these Instructions from the farro I most recommend.

After you've soaked and strained the farro, you can pick up with my recipe below. Enjoy!

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Season the salmon liberally with kosher salt and black pepper, sprinkle on the smoked paprika and rub gently into the flesh. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and roast the salmon until cooked all the way through and opaque, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

2. In a saucepan bring the stock to a boil and add the farro and a couple pinches of kosher or sea salt. Stir occasionally and simmer gently until the farro is tender and cooked but still a bit chewy. Remove from the heat and place a lid on and let the farro absorb the rest of the stock for 5 minutes.

3. Wash and spin dry the mache and arrange on wide plates. Chop the tomato and sprinkle on the mache. Top each plate with a piece of salmon. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, three pinches of kosher salt, a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously to create a thick lemon dressing.

4. Remove the lid from the farro and fluff up. With a large tablespoon, sprinkle the farro all over the salad. Drizzle the salad with the lemon vinaigrette and enjoy!

May 21, 2010

These few weeks of May are a really special and inspiring time of year for anyone who loves to cook. Or loves to eat, for that matter. In North America, our tender spring vegetables like asparagus, ramps, fava beans and morel mushrooms make their decidedly long-awaited but fleeting appearance. I usually celebrate them in a blog posting but this year, I wanted to remind you of another delicacy that is in its "peak" during this wonderful pre-summer warmup: the soft-shelled crab. Now, I hesitated posting this because I know how much eating these really turns some people off. If you're one of them, I apologize and please just look away and move on. But, for those of you who love the Maryland-style Soft-Shelled Crab, read on! This is my fantastic "Soft-Shelled Blue Crab with Mango and Arugula".

It's really a very simple recipe, the hardest part is finding the soft-shelled crab and doing it before they disappear some time in July. They're available now, because the growing crabs have just shed a harder exoskeleton and are growing their adult shells. So, they're tender and fully-edible, every last piece. the key is to get them fresh as possible, (read reputable fishmonger) have them cleaned by that fishmonger and to cook them hard and fast for a short time. I went with a pretty traditional method; dredging them in flour and my own home-made spice mix redolent of the famous Old Bay Seasoning. Then a quick flash in the pan with a little oil to fry them up super crispy. I tossed up a gorgeous little arugula and mango salad as a bed for the little guys. It was delicious combination! The sweet and fruity mango really tastes awesome with the oceanic and spicy crabs. I sprinkled the spice mix directly on the mango slices to and wow, was that good!

Typical soft-shelled crabs from the East Coast of the United States are blue crabs. You can see in the photo below, the tinge of blue on their bodies. When you're frying them, they turn varying shades of orange, red and brown. Similar to shrimp, that's when you know they're cooked -- they go from bluish transparent to full opaque and a red, orange, pink tints. You want the shells to be crispy and crunchy too so watch them carefully, there is a perfect moment when they're "done" and it depends on your pan and stovetop. Opaque, red-orange everywhere and crunchy are the guidelines.

1. (Optional step, making the spice mix) Note: if you're going to toast whole spices and then grind them, you will need to back off the winter spices like cardamom and allspice. I used pre-ground for speed. In a spice grinder, grind up the bay leaves and red pepper flakes to a fine powder. Dump into a small air-tight plastic container. Add the remaining spices and stir together to incorporate. Remove two tablespoons and store the rest in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard.

2. Add the arugula and mango to a bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for a quick vinaigrette. Pour over the mango and arugula salad and let it sit while you finish the crabs.

3. Put the flour and spice mixture onto a plate and stir with a spoon to mix evenly. Dredge each of the crabs in the mixture, making sure to coat all sides and pieces and then shake off any excess. Set aside for a few minutes.

4. Heat a very large non-stick skillet and add 3 T. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil. When oil is shimmering hot, gently add the crabs shell-side down using a pair of kitchen tongs. Beware: they will splatter and pop as they're cooking so stand back! Fry each crab until orange-red-brown and crispy and fully opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the second side. When both sides of each crab are fully crispy and cooked through, remove from the heat.

5. Place a mound of salad on the plate, add one crab on top and sprinkle with more kosher salt and spice mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy!

April 07, 2010

It's been above 80˚F each day since Saturday here in New York. Let me tell you, this hyper-Spring weather feels so good and is making everyone happy and pushing us outside as much as possible. In my moments not working, I've been readying my patio garden, buying gorgeous tulips and perusing the Farmer's Markets. The tender spring lettuces and micro-greens are out and one of my favorites is the star of this dish. Here's my gorgeous Spring "Mizuna Salad with Poached Egg, Crispy Leeks and Tarragon Vinaigrette".

Now, I know many of you believe that salads are a cook's little break. But I'm an expert in salads and I firmly believe that if you put as much thought and care into the flavors of your salads as you do main dishes you'll never get bored of salads again. And, you won't feel like it's just a warm-up for the entree. If in the case of a salad like this you involve a little cooking too -- your results will be spectacular. Get the freshest, best ingredients you can find. Take your time and do the techniques properly. You'll be rewarded with a fresh and delicious salad with a perfectly poached egg that acts as an ooey, gooey condiment and delicately crisp leeks that add more interesting flavor and texture. It's a beautiful dish. Still simple despite several steps and a real treat whether it's a Wednesday lunch or an opening course for a 5-course meal. Mizuna is like a very delicate, slightly peppery cross between mustard and arugula. You can substitute mache, watercress or tatsoi. Just make sure the green you pick has lots of flavor, nutrients and is young and tender.

1. Wash and spin dry the mizuna. Cut tomato into medium dice or use small grape tomatoes, cut in half. Place the mizuna and tomato in a medium bowl.

2. Heat a small non-stick skillet on the stovetop and add the olive oil. When shimmering, add the leeks and saute on medium-high heat until brown and crispy. You want them crunchy and brown, not soft so keep going until they're just short of burned. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to cool.

3. Add about 4 cups of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a very hot steaming, but just below a simmer. You don't want to see bubbles on the surface of the water or any boiling, but just below. It should be about the temperature you'd use to steep tea. Hot enough to burn you but not hot enough to boil. Crack each egg into a single small cup or prep bowl.

4. Make the vinaigrette while waiting for the water to come to the right temperature. Combine the chopped tarragon, sherry vinegar, kosher salt and black pepper in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil with one hand while whisking vigorously with the other. The dressing should begin to emulsify and get thick as you're whisking. Drizzle over the greens and tomato and toss thoroughly.

5. Return your attention to the water and when super hot and steaming, gently pour one egg into the water. Take a rubber spatula and gently fold some of the rapidly spreading egg white over and around the yolk. Be careful not to puncture the yolk. Leave it alone now for exactly 1 minute 30 seconds (at or near sea level) and about 2 minutes if at altitude. You are aiming for a very soft yolk, with the whites just cooked. At the end of your time, take a large slotted spoon and scoop under the entire egg, lifting from the water. Set egg on a slippery plate or surface and do the other egg exactly the same way.

6. Spoon the mizuna and tomato onto plates and shave some parmigiano-reggiano over the greens. Gently slide a poached egg onto each plate in the center of the greens. Sprinkle with the crispy leeks and serve immediately.

7. Each guest should gently break the yolk with a fork to release the gooey yolk over the salad.

January 25, 2010

While Winter weather may get us down, one of the best things this time of year is the incredible citrus fruits we can get from the warmer zones in North America. The weather in Florida has been so bizarre this year that we're lucky to be getting any good citrus at all and we should all do our best to buy whatever is available. One of the stars of January is Cara Cara oranges. Have a look at my gorgeous "Cara Cara Orange Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette" that truly celebrates this fruit at its peak.

Cara Cara oranges are so sweet and unique that once you've had one, you'll scour them every time they're in season, looking for them at every market stand and grocery store. They look like a Naval orange from the outside but when you slice them open, you know it's something different. They have a rosy pink or deep salmon colored flesh. They taste similar to a blood orange or a sweet tangerine, and have such a full, robust, low-acid "orangeness" that they quickly become addictive. Treat them simply and well and you will be stunned at how good they are. This quick and elegant salad is sure to be a stunner and works great as either an appetizer or a closing-meal palate cleanser. Whatever you do - don't complicate their flavor or overwhelm them. Start with their baseline sweetness and add some seasoning, saltiness, crunchy texture and maybe a little bitter. That's exactly what I did how and it was stunning. Enjoy this at your next dinner party this month!

Method:1) Peel and slice the oranges, reserving half of one orange for the dressing. Pit and chop the olives and set aside.

2) Grind the pistachios in a processor or with an immersion blender. Place pistachios in a bowl and sprinkle the 3 tsp. of orange juice from half the orange into the bowl. Add the grapeseed oil, sea salt, white pepper and whisk to incorporate. Add a tablespoon or two of water, in order to be able to pour or spoon the dressing. You want it thick, but liquid enough to drizzle.

3) Place the orange slices on a plate, fanning out. Sprinkle the green olives over the oranges. Drizzle the pistachio vinaigrette over the salad with a spoon. Serve immediately and enjoy!

January 14, 2010

It's It's the little things that make blogging exciting and sometimes it's simply being included and delivered on a device that you really, truly love. I've been a devout iPhone user since 2007 and am thrilled to announce that one of my Scrumptious Street recipes is now available on an iPhone app called "Strawberries". The recipe is my fantastic "Arugula and Strawberry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette" and the Strawberries app was just released for download by the The California Strawberry Commission. I'm pleased and proud to be part of a distinguished group of chefs and food bloggers whose recipes are included in the app. Download and try it out. My recipe is listed as the first one under the Salads section.

As As the commission describes in its press release, the app was released "featuring more than 50 mouth-watering strawberry recipes from
some of the most popular food bloggers and chefs from around the web.
Individually selected for that “wow” factor, these recipes will
inspire families, foodies, cooks, the health conscious and strawberry lovers
everywhere to get even more creative with strawberries." I'm honored and thrilled to be part of this crowd and hope you'll download the app and give these recipes a try. Of course you can share the recipes directly from the app via Facebook, Twitter and email. You can find The California Strawberry Commission's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/castrawberries or Follow them athttp://www.Twitter.com/CAstrawberries.

October 30, 2008

I've been scrambling to get the best out of the Farmer's Markets before they close down for the season. Although here in Northern California there are many stands open year-round, one can only eat so much kale and brussels sprouts. So in the last few weeks of great produce, I've been stocking up on goodies.

One thing I love but had never made before is the classic pickled Italian antipasto or salad condiment, Giardiniera. My best friend here in the Bay Area is Italian and casually mentioned it to me one day recently. That was enough to inflame a craving so I decided it was time to try my hand at such a simple but yummy food. Here's my first spin at "Hot Italian-style Giardiniera."

Now, I like tart foods. And, I like spicy foods. But this stuff can be positively addicting with its tartness, saltiness, spicy goodness. It's perfect to eat with something rich like leftover roast beef sandwiches, Italian salumi or even as part of a lovely rice salad. You can also alter it to use any kind of vegetables you like. Carrots, Celery, Cauliflower, Onions, Olives, Sweet Peppers are standard but you can go in any number of directions with your favorite salad-type vegetables. So, let out your creativity and give it a try!

Here's my initial recipe, which I will be altering in coming months. This is based on another recipe I'd seen and had way too much salt. I cut back, but still it wasn't right. Still very edible, but it needed to be eaten with something fatty to not be too harsh. Stay tuned, I'll post a perfected recipe later.

1. Combine all vegetables in a large glass bowl. Dissolve salt in 2 cups water, pour over vegetables and add enough additional water to complete cover the vegetables. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next day, drain and rinse the vegetables and pat dry. Rinse bowl and place the dried vegetables pack in the bowl. Mix all the spices, olives, oil and vinegar. Pour over the vegetables and gently stir to cover. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 48 hours before eating, stirring with a large spoon every few hours.

Next time, I'll improve a bit on the salting process and also let it wait even longer before eating. I'll likely make enough to preserve several jars as well. In the meantime, this looks like a decent recipe.

August 25, 2008

I discovered a taste for Jicama a couple months back, after reading a terrific book I told you about on this blog. It's a staple of many Mexican and Latin American diets, and is terrific for its nutritional value as well as its culinary diversity. Jicama is one of those ingredients with almost no flavor but wonderful texture so it adds an interesting element to a dish. Its crunchiness reminds me of a starchy Granny Smith apple. But, it's as flavorless as something like a water chestnut yet vaguely sweet. So it will absorb whatever you give it for season and flavoring just beautifully. I created a salad that is a little bit like guacamole with crunchy "chips" included. Take a look at my "Jicama and Avocado Salad".

The recipe couldn't be easier, and the result is really fresh and satisfying. If you like guacamole or Mexican-influenced foods, you should give this salad a try. We had as a late summer meal with smoky barbecued chicken and it was a terrific combination. I only wish I had thought to make up a pitcher of margaritas as well!

You can easily adjust and scale this recipe and let your taste buds be your guide in how much spiciness or tartness you want in the dressing. The photo below shows a whole jicama before peeling in case you've never seen one. It's the root on the left side of the shot. Peel it just like you would a potato. If it's not super firm and fresh, after peeling and slicing place it in an ice water bath for 10 minutes before preparing the salad.

1. Peel and slice the jicama and let stand in an ice water bath for 10 minutes. Drain all water and place in a large bowl.

2. Add the avocado and tomato to the bowl of jicama. Squeeze 1 tsp. of lime juice over the avocado pieces to keep them from turning brown. Toss gently.

3. In a second bowl, prepare the dressing by adding the jalapeno pepper and the remainder of juice from the lime. Add the chili powder and salt and whisk vigorously. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, whisking briskly and continuously, until the dressing is thickened. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Serve immediately and enjoy this scrumptious summer salad!

August 12, 2008

Again and again, simplicity and excellent ingredients win the day here at Scrumptious Street. The other day I was thinking about how much I love the delicately delicious combination of strawberries and champagne. Rushed for time and having none of that beautiful wine on hand, I found a way to feed the craving and my hunger all at once. Here is a look at the resulting "Arugula and Strawberry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette."

One of the best things about being able to imagine flavors and how things will taste is the excitement I feel beforehand knowing something is going to work. This salad is really very special, quite scrumptious and spectacularly easy. If you've never used champagne vinegar before, my favorite thing about it is that it's so softly tart, so delicately oriented toward sour that it provides necessary acidity to a dressing without demanding a lot of oil to balance out the flavor. It's perfect with strawberries, because you can discern that soft bubbly flavor and the sweetness of the berries respond as much with the dressing as when you're drinking a glass of bubbly and you drop in a berry. I chose arugula for the foundation of the salad, knowing a good peppery bite would be great with the soft-tart-sweetness. I picked a soft and creamy havarti cheese (plain, not dill or herb-spiked) to sprinkle in a little richness without dominating the salad. Havarti is very mild and almost as soft as brie but with more structure, so it was the perfect cheese to use here.

As for the vinegar, there are a large number of exquisite brands out there, I just happened to choose this one since it was labeled as a Sonoma County Harvest Fair Gold Medal Winner. I hadn't tried it before but assumed this award meant it would be fantastic. Indeed it was!

2. In a small bowl, add the scallion, champagne vinegar, salt and white pepper. Stir together and let sit a few minutes so the vinegar starts to soften and break down the scallion. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking, to thicken and emulsify the vinaigrette.

3. In a medium bowl add the arugula, strawberries, cheese and fresh mint. Drizzle vinaigrette dressing over the top and toss very gently with your hands.

4. Serve immediately, especially good when served on chilled plates. Savor every bite!

July 30, 2008

The produce at this week's Farmer's Market jaunt was no less than stellar, which always is inspiring and yields terrific recipes at Scrumptious Street. While in Italy recently, I was reminded of the perfect affinity zucchini and mint have for one another so I made a wonderful summer dish of "Zucchini & Tomato Salad with Capers and Mint in a Yogurt Dressing".

This isn't necessarily an Italian dish, but it is Mediterranean influenced. If you've never tried zucchini and mint, this is really a spectacular combination that must be tasted! Additionally, feta cheese is a beautiful supporting cast member here and lends just enough tangy creaminess to really make it special. The salad is incredibly simple and will be delicious if you follow a few guidelines. You must have very fresh produce as close to the farm or garden as possible -- these ingredients in particular, cannot be the watered-down grocery store varieties.

Zucchini is somewhat bitter when raw. However, it's quite delicate so when cooked it would be too soft and dull colored for a salad. So, I kept it raw but prepared it by dusting with salt and letting it strain. Just like eggplant, this treatment draws out the bitterness in the skin and flesh of the squash, gets the juices flowing and tenderizes the vegetable. It softens a bit without changing the color or fresh lightly-crunched structure. So, make sure to follow the steps for salting and straining in this recipe and you'll love the salad too!

Method:1. Placed the sliced zucchini in a fine colander or fine-mesh sieve. Sprinkle with kosher salt, toss thoroughly and let stand in the sink to strain for 10 minutes, tossing every couple of minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse the zucchini thoroughly, getting off any remaining salt. Take a few paper towels and place the zucchini in the towels and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid.

2. Chop your tomato in half and scoop out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon or your fingers. Dice the tomato. In a bowl, combine the zucchini, scallions, seeded tomato, capers, parsley, feta, mint, lemon zest and 1 tsp. of the lemon juice. Toss gently to combine.

3. In a small bowl, make the dressing by combining yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice, white pepper and olive oil. Whisk and slowly add the olive oil, the quantity you use will depend on the thickness you want and the texture of the yogurt you used.

4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Refrigerate for 4 hours and then serve chilled.

May 18, 2008

Fava beans are another of my very favorite Spring ingredients and I always peruse the Farmer's Markets for them in April and May. I hit the jackpot this past week and found some Favas that were so beautiful and fresh that I knew I wouldn't want to boil them, sauté them or otherwise cook for very long. Thus, these babies called to be eaten just the other side of raw, barely blanched and in a simple manner to show off their freshest taste. Here is my resulting "Fava Bean and Tomato Salad."

This dish was so wonderful but it's not going to work if you don't have incredibly tender and fresh beans. Two great ways to recognize them are that the pods should not contain any black spots and should not feel flimsy or mushy if you gently squeeze them. Should you find good ones, they'll turn anyone into a lover of this healthy legume. Another very important part of this dish was the green garlic stalks. You should also be able to find this at any good Farmer's Market in the Spring months and I chose to use them because they taste of garlic but are much milder and softer, perfect because you can eat it raw, like I did with this salad. I think this is a scrumptious little side salad for all those summer barbeques and is similar to a typical Mediterranean meze or Spanish tapas.

I only had a small amount and they're a bit intensive to shuck, blanch and shell so this is just a recipe that feeds two people as a small little nibble. In case you've seen them at the markets but aren't sure how to get the beans out of the funny-looking pod, here's the basic plan. Snap off the top stem and pull the long string along the seam, exactly like you do with fresh snap peas. Pull out the bean inside and put them in a bowl. The beans are covered in a soft, waxy casing that you will remove before eating. So, in essence, you have to shell them twice. Blanch them inside the casing and when done, put them in an ice bath. One at a time, pinch the end of the casing and slice it open with your thumbnail. Push the opposite end of the casing and the inner bean should slide right out. I'm sorry I didn't take photos of the process but there are some very illustrative photos here.

1. String, shell, blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then cool fava beans in an ice bath. One at a time, shuck the fava beans and put them in a bowl. Add the chopped tomato, basil, marjoram and green garlic. Toss gently with a spoon to mix.

2. In another small bowl add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk to mix. Slowly stream in the olive oil, about one tablespoon at a time, making an emulsified vinaigrette.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the fava, tomatoes and herbs in the first bowl. Mix thoroughly and taste, adding a pinch more salt and pepper if desired. Serve either as is, or placed atop a very fresh bed of arugula.

Have a great time with this one and believe me, it's worth the effort with the beans and the rest of the preparation is very quick and simple!